how do i stop when ice skating?

Answer 1

There are several different ways you can stop in ice skating, each with differing levels of difficulty since some stops require you to shift your weight, to have correct timing, and/or to adjust your skate blade angle properly to the ice.

Perhaps the easiest way to stop is to just let yourself slow down by gliding to a stop or running into the boards at low slow speed. While everyone else would yell about using the snowplow or the T-stop stop, these stops require solid balance, since any skate movement requires shifting weight, and would not be practical to a beginner skater. Once the skater is able to turn on the ice by shifting weight on the skates, gliding while turning left and right quickly would allow for faster stopping, since your skating distance will be longer distance before you run into anything. The key to this stop is to not tense up while gliding or turning. Unfortunately, this type of stop takes the most amount of time and distance to execute, and does not work well when you need to stop quickly. However, it also gives you the most stability with the base your feet make.

The second level of difficulty in stopping involves dragging a skate on the ice, which allows you to slow down much more quickly, while the other skate glides in the direction you are moving. The two types of stopping are the t-stop, where you drag a skate behind you, perpendicular to the direction where you're traveling, and the snowplow, where you put one foot in front of you, where you scrape the ice. These stops require you to shift a significant amount of weight onto your gliding skate, so you should have a good sense of balance before you try these stops. You may need it since, from experience, the T-stop has a tendency of making you spin if you don't drag your skate just right. In my years skating, I have never used the snowplow, so I can't give a sufficient comment on it.

The third level of difficulty in stopping involves using both skates to stop. The most talked about (and arguably the coolest) stop is the hockey stop, where both skates scrape the ice perpendicular to the direction of travel. If you have skied and stopped in such a fashion, it's very similar. However, hockey stopping requires you to angle your body and your skate blades precisely on the ice and thus requires you to have a good sense of your where your skate edges are, especially if the skate is sharp. If you're not careful, your skate(s) may dig into the ice and cause a nasty fall. The hockey stop is probably the fastest method to stop on ice. It is also the most spectacular, since shower snow on objects and other people when done in certain ways.

---

A "fourth" level of stopping isn't necessarily in difficulty, but can be variations in the snowplow, the t-stop, and the hockey stop, or imports from inline skating.

I personally also use a variation in which my body and left skate is positioned for a hockey stop, but my right foot glides "backwards" in the direction of travel to provide extra stability. It also allows me to stop quickly while I'm gliding backwards. Kind of like a reverse-snowplow. Another is a variation of the t-stop where I drag the front tip of my rear skate to slow down. It doesn't have much of an advantage over the t-stop, but you don't have to flex your gliding knee as much.

Others may do a one-foot hockey stop, where the front foot in the stop is the only skate in contact with the ice. My sister, who used to be an avid ice skater, used an opposite method, by stopping on the outside edge of back skate in a modified hockey stop.

Finally, I also use a Y-stop, adapted from inline skating, where one foot travels foward and the other backward, like a spread eagle, but the skates are angled so I path is in a very small circle, short of spinning. I have found this to be an effective way to slow down very quickly to a very low speed, and stepping out of it and pushing off from it is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I know alot about ice skating and that is because I am a figure skater and I have been since I was three. First thing you should do is hold your arms out to your sides for balance. Then do some stroking and keep your chin up. Then put your right foot in from of your left foot on the outside edge of the blade. That is called a snow plow stop. Don't try a T stop until you know how to do a snow plow because it is hard to learn a T stop because you are on an outside edge. Good Luck!!! I hope it helps!!!

Answer 3

The snowplow stop is the easiest and I recommend making sure that the ice skates aren't too sharp when you try to do this because it makes it harder. Basically you put your blades in a v shape, bend your knees and push outward. Another type of stop you can do is a hockey stop which you turn sideways, bend your knees and stop. Also there is a t-stop which you put you blades in a t shape and lean back on your back blade (the top of the T) and lean on the outside edge which will stop you.

Answer 4

Another way to do a slow stop is to place your right foot behind the left and exert downward pressure and that is called a T stop,mainly used in roller skating and blading.All these types of stops are necessary to learn and will be used under different circumstances.

Answer 5

im assuming a hockey stop

when you are going forward turn your skates and lean back causing your blades to dig into the ice( make sure you do not turn along with your skates.) that way the blades will go into the ice and you will stop.

i know this will sound crazy but it worked for me. while skating go as fast as you can and crash into the boards. that way your mind will tell your body not to do it anymore and you will beable to learn to stop easier.

Answer 6

that is a really sad question. but not if you're from like hawaii or something and have never set foot on ice in your life. but ya, to stop, you can do a hockey stop. or just throw yourself onto the ground, that is the only 100% guarantee that i know that you will stop, that i could think of.

Answer 7

Dig your toes into the ice. They have spokes at the end of the blade. I learned to just think of it like you are walking on your tip-toes. I don't know. That's the way I learned...maybe it'll work for you too!
Good luck!


_bEtHaNy #33

Answer 8

the simplest, easiest stop is called a snowplow stop. hold your arms out for balance, bend your knees, turn your toes together and make an upside-down 'V' shape with your feet. you should glide to a stop.

hope this helps. good luck!

Answer 9

Ok Beth, those are called toepicks, and are not for stopping. Those are for jumps, NOT STOPPING!

Answer 10

t stop , hockey stop , snowplow stop